Ryan Hodges
Another NHL season is upon us! The 2025-26 edition of the National Hockey League debuts on Tuesday with 3 games aired on ESPN beginning at 5PM ET. Last season ended eerily similar to 2024 as the Florida Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Finals for the 2nd consecutive season. Florida’s Stanley Cup win was also their 3rd consecutive Stanley Cup Finals appearance. Entering the new season, it is clear who the remaining 31 teams are chasing.
Although the Conference Champions have not seen much parity in recent years, there are several teams that have a very real chance to challenge the multi-season Stanley Cup Finals incumbents. Below are the preseason Stanley Cup and Playoff odds for the 2025-26 season, as well as a few notes around what stands out in the odds.
Along with our 2025-26 NHL season preview, be sure to check out all of our NHL predictions for almost every slate throughout the season.
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Key 2026 NHL Futures Market odds
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook and available at time of publishing.
Odds to win the Stanley Cup
- Carolina Hurricanes: +750
- Tampa Bay Lightning: +800
- Vegas Golden Knights: +850
- Edmonton Oilers: +900
- Colorado Avalanche: +900
- Dallas Stars: +1000
- Florida Panthers: +1100
- New Jersey Devils: +1300
- Toronto Maple Leafs: +2000
- Los Angeles Kings: +2200
What stands out:
The Panthers, who, to reiterate, have won the Eastern Conference each of the last 3 seasons in a row, are outside the top 5 in odds. That immediately looks like nice value. Even the reigning consecutive Western Conference champion Oilers barely cracked the top 5. Granted, both teams have lost players from their respective prior teams due to either injury or player transaction. But until any of the other 30 NHL teams prove otherwise, the Panthers and Oilers should still have targets on their backs.
That brings us to the preseason odds-on favorite to win the Stanley Cup: the Carolina Hurricanes. If the Hurricanes have done anything in the playoffs for 7 years now, it’s underachieve and go out quietly. The Hurricanes and their fans have plenty to be excited for after the acquisitions of Nikolaj Ehlers, K’Andre Miller, and a full season of Logan Stankoven. But, especially when wagering on the Hurricanes, proceed with caution.
Several of the other teams in the top 10 odds have a lot to prove. Toronto famously can never get over the hump. With a bit of a new looking team entering the season, they intend to be playing hockey beyond 82 games. Dallas, meanwhile, has lost in the Western Conference Finals each of the last 3 seasons. They are constantly knocking on the door thanks to a great roster mix of young talent, veteran leadership, and great goaltending. At some point, though, something has to give. Lastly, the promising young, talented New Jersey Devils have yet to look like a serious Cup contender, mostly due to injuries. Nonetheless, the upside is there. But they are another group that needs to take the next step.
Odds to make the playoffs
- Chicago Blackhawks: +1600
- New York Rangers: -200
- Pittsburgh Penguins: +600
- Montreal Canadiens: +105
- Boston Bruins: +400
- Washington Capitals: -165
- Calgary Flames: +270
- Buffalo Sabres: +220
- Detroit Red Wings: +260
- Ottawa Senators: -185
- Philadelphia Flyers: +260
- New York Islanders: +240
- Columbus Blue Jackets: +210
- Minnesota Wild: -200
- Nashville Predators: +225
- St. Louis Blues: -115
- Winnipeg Jets: -260
- Utah Mammoth: -125
- Anaheim Ducks: +270
- San Jose Sharks: +1200
- Seattle Kraken: +550
- Vancouver Canucks: +105
What stands out:
There are 6 teams out of 8 in the Central division in which the odds say that it is more likely than not that those teams make the playoffs. Given the NHL’s postseason format, that is not mathematically possible. But it illustrates what a gauntlet that Central division could be. The Central sent 5 teams to the playoffs last season, so it is not entirely surprising. What will be interesting to see is how the top 3 shake out in the division considering how much they are all likely to beat up on each other this season.
Columbus and Detroit being +210 and +260 respectively look like solid value. Both teams narrowly missed the postseason last year and appear to be trending upward as opposed to downward. While Columbus was more of a surprise, Detroit has been building what could be a very good team for years. While they both need a few things to go right, especially given the strength of their respective divisions, these are very good teams to be as above 2:1 odds as they are to make the postseason. Columbus and Detroit could be worth futures consideration.
Read our full NHL analysis all season long
2025-26 NHL season best bets
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Detroit Red Wings to make the playoffs: +260
As alluded to, the Red Wings are a good team that have been on the cusp of taking the next step. The mix of a talented roster, a full season with a new and proven coach, and franchise urgency to advance at an all-time high, this +260 has appeal. A few other Eastern Conference playoff teams from last year had a lot go right down the stretch. Detroit “shouldn’t” have to do too much to disrupt the playoff picture, and they get a nice +260 to do so.
Anaheim Ducks over 84.5 points: -105
Anaheim might be the most improved team from last season which was much improved from the season prior. A rebuilding Ducks team tallied 80 points last season. This year, they have a Hall of Fame coach at the helm, and they have their deepest roster in years, complete with both young talent and proven veterans. They are another example of “if some things go right, they could disrupt the playoff picture.” For now, this over 84.5 points prop at -105 stands out.
2025-26 NHL Stanley Cup best bets
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Toronto Maple Leafs win the Eastern Conference: +850
Last season, Toronto advanced to their furthest point in the playoffs in 20 years. They have made what they felt like were the right roster decisions to get them over the hump, and they are in their second full season with a recent Stanley Cup winning coach behind the bench. Looking around the other Conference winner odds, the Leafs have more appeal than several of their peers. A primary reason is the Western Conference looks like it will be more of a task for that winner than that of the Eastern Conference. Nonetheless, it needs to be Toronto’s time to make a Cup Finals run.
Vegas Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup: +850
The Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup in 2023 with largely the same pieces as are still on their roster. They have underwhelmed in the last 2 postseasons, but have had a few headwinds in the process. The West has a chance to cannibalize itself in both the regular season and the postseason. If that ends up being the case, there are not many better or more proven teams than Vegas to come out on the other side. This is a deep, talented, physical team that has a core that has reached the mountaintop together. After Florida and Edmonton, Vegas is arguably the next most proven, consistent winner. Looking at the odds board, the Golden Knights stand out and are a tougher fade than just about all of their peers.
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